Devil's Playground Read online

  “So, where are we going?” Evelyn asked at last.

  “For pizza,” Ivan said.

  Her stride stumbled. “You’re getting pizza right now?”

  Nadya tossed her a confused look. “When is it a bad time for pizza?”

  “Right,” Evelyn said.

  It was clear she had a lot more to say about the situation but managed to keep her silence until they were on the monorail platform. Ivan explained how the small tram line linked Mandalay Bay to The Luxor, and that the maps of Las Vegas were deceptive. Everything was so big that walking times took far longer than people expected. The chatter seemed to ease her nerves, and in the end, she was even smiling down at the small boy.

  Night had fallen while they had been inside. That said, darkness never really got a tight grip in this town. Neon lights fought it back and kept everything in a perpetual state of midday brightness. The nighttime crowds were starting to gather. People in search of entertainment or shuffling out from one bar to another. Evelyn was bouncing restlessly on the balls of her feet by the time they got on the monorail. It was a short trip, but she deteriorated enough that she was jumping slightly and making clicking sounds with her tongue. Adrenaline or shock? Aleksandr couldn’t decide which one it was, but figured getting some food into her stomach was a good idea.

  She was ready the moment the monorail pulled up in front of the Egyptian- themed hotel. The sky was dark enough now that the beam of light shooting from the tip of the onyx pyramid was visible for miles. People milled around the replica statues that guarded the area into the building itself, smaller versions of the sphinx and the like. The desert air felt uncomfortably hot after the air-conditioning, but it was fresh and flowing, and Aleksandr took in a few greedy breaths. The platform thinned quickly, and Evelyn took to pacing back and forth a few feet, her hands on her hips and her chest heaving as she sucked in deep breaths. Once she was sure that no one would overhear, she turned abruptly to them.

  “So, this changes things, huh?” Evelyn said, puffing out her cheeks like she had just run a marathon.

  “We knew the Furies were here.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I got that part,” she said, pacing again. “It’s just ... I always thought that they were real, you know? This is new. New and not exactly good.”

  “What do you mean?” Ivan asked.

  Nadya scrunched up her face. “We don’t have time to deal with you going into denial.”

  “Oh, I’m not. Though I am freaking out that you guys aren’t freaking out,” she said. “Take the flamingos. You said that the Furies messed them up, right?”

  “Yes,” Aleksandr said, his stomach churning as he realized there was something he was missing.

  “Other people saw that, right?” she pressed. “There were witnesses? Tangible evidence left behind?”

  “So?” Nadya asked.

  “So?” Evelyn laughed. “So, we’re not covered in blood. I’m bone dry, how about you guys? Yeah, that’s what I mean. No one else saw that. You might not have noticed while you got settled, but even the people coming out of the aquarium behind us kept giving us weird looks. Unless torrents of blood are a normal occurrence and they’ve just gotten bored with it all, we were the only ones who saw that. None of it was real. All of it was in our heads. And that, my friends, might cause a few issues down the line.”

  Dread opened up in the pit of Aleksandr’s stomach. “Oh.”

  “Yeah. Oh.” Evelyn laced her fingers together and placed the tangled digits on the back of her head, dragging in a few deep breaths as she jumped from one foot to another. It seemed to do the trick and she was able to calm down at last.

  “Maybe this is a good sign,” Nadya said.

  “Oh?” Evelyn asked, almost as if she were mimicking Aleksandr’s earlier comment.

  “Last time, it seemed like all three of the Furies needed to be present for things to get really bad,” Ivan agreed. “Maybe this means that only one has found us. We still have time.”

  The rhythmic sound of bells cut into the conversation and she pulled it out from the cup of her bra. Aleksandr hadn’t seen her put it in there and was wondering why she didn’t use her pockets. He was still contemplating it as Evelyn read over the text message. With an annoyed huff, she smiled bitterly and tossed Aleksandr the phone.

  “Not as much time as you think. Family’s coming.”

  Aleksandr looked down at a picture of a plane ticket, the location of departure blanked out but the arrival point clear. It was a one-way ticket to Las Vegas.

  Chapter 5

  Las Vegas made Evelyn feel small. The Strip was a broad, straight stretch of concrete, parting the colossal buildings like an obsidian river through a canyon. Working together, the towering summits of the buildings held up the night sky like it was a thick, dense blanket. The darkness drooped slightly around the tips but was unable to penetrate the glittering, dazzling array of lights.

  Spacious walkways braced The Strip, nestled between the road and the casino grounds. Periodically, long staircases rose up at least two stories high to join a network of bridges that connected the hotels and tourist attractions.

  They seemed to be the only way to navigate.

  Unlike what the movies had promised her, The Strip wasn’t an open, flowing stretch of road that served as the perfect vantage point to take it all in. Not only did a waist-high fence block anyone from crossing, the traffic was horrible. The sheer number of vehicles had reduced both directions to a crawl. Four miles of blocked roads with surprisingly patient people. No one honked or yelled. They all just inched forward when they could, Porsches and Lamborghinis bumper to bumper with minivans and rusted wrecks.

  The twins led the way, swinging their joined hands as they weaved through the crowd and took bites of their ice-cream cones in near perfect, mindless unison. They straddled the line between creepy and adorable, which seemed to be their preference. Evelyn nibbled on her cone with far more reluctance. The twins had been the first ones to shake off their shock and point out that their only real defense against the Furies was to starve them. They fed off fear. Their fear. So, the calmer they remained, the better they would fair in the long run. Comfort food, as they had reasoned while staring up at their brother with imploring eyes, was the perfect way to relax. Aleksandr hadn't put up much of a fight. A quick pizza dinner and ice-cream for the walk back.

  Daytime heat lingered in the air, quickly melting Evelyn’s ice-cream, turning it into liquid trails that pooled against her fingers. Food wasn't enough of a distraction to clear Evelyn’s mind like it did the twins. But her first real sight of Las Vegas in all its glory made up for that. Without a glance behind, the twins trotted up a flight of stairs, working against the tide of the crowd to reach the bridge. It seemed like every inch of space was taken up by someone. And there was never any theme within them. Evelyn found herself just as likely to pass someone heading for a club as she was to spot someone in their pajamas. Costumes, gym gear, designer brands and souvenir shirts. Anything and everything. All she had to do was look long enough to spot it. Nothing was uncommon. Nothing was strange. There was no point of reference, and without it, everything around her felt artificial. A staged production designed for entertainment. A play that would render it impossible to notice what didn't belong until it was right next to her. It put her on edge, and she shifted a little closer to Aleksandr, closing ranks.

  The entrance of the Polaris Casino reared up before them, and she was captivated once again. Even in the blazing chaos of The Strip, the glistening cobalt of Polaris stood out. It was laced with rockets and planets and topped with a stark white star that, in the night, seemed to hover above the building.

  The industrial air conditioner droned, a constant hum that grew louder as they added to the stream of people funneling through the enormous doors. Synthetic, chilly air blasted them from all directions the moment they crossed the threshold, freezing the sweat on Evelyn's skin and making her shiver. She flinched at the sensation. A second of hesitation
that earned her a gentle shove. Apparently, the stranger behind her hadn’t anticipated the sudden stop and had kept walking. Both muttered an apology, but neither of them could keep the irritation from their voice.

  The gambling floor was directly in front of the entrance. An electronic sea of flashing lights, clashing melodies, and the constant chatter of coins against metal. White lattice-work and computer screens covered the domed roof, creating the illusion of a spaceship’s window, with rainbow nebulas and swirling galaxies passing by at a lazy pace. If Aleksandr’s shoulder hadn’t nudged her, she probably would have stopped walking again and stared at the display.

  Circling the edges of the poker machine pit, they passed by a long series of glass doors and a small bar that sold novelty shaped cups filled with neon-colored daiquiris. The check-in counter lay a bit deeper into the structure, away from all the windows and sheltered from the sunlight. The manufactured darkness made the array of decorative lights far more impressive. A dozen people worked the front desk, but they couldn’t keep up with demand. The people waiting to check in created a long, winding snake that coiled back and forth on itself, filling up the waiting room. She joined the end of the line, a little surprised when the Sokolovsky siblings joined her.

  Since the single queue only splintered towards the end, it was impossible to choose their server. Evelyn didn't know that this was a problem until her small group was heading towards a woman at the far end of the counter. The kids groaned, and Aleksandr grunted as if in physical discomfort.

  “What am I missing?” she whispered.

  “Carrie doesn't like us,” Nadya said.

  “That's not true,” Aleksandr said, carefully covering up his Russian accent as they approached the table. “She doesn’t like how I’m raising you.”

  There wasn’t time to ask any further questions. Carrie looked them over as they came up and forced a smile.

  “Alex.” There was a sharp edge to her voice as her eyes lingered on the twins. “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. We’re a little busy right now. As I’m sure you can see.”

  Evelyn gripped her bag tightly to suppress her need to whip around when Aleksandr replied, his voice now drenched with a heavy Southern drawl.

  “Oh, I don’t need anything. This here’s my friend Eve. She’s checking in.”

  “Of course,” Carrie said.

  Evelyn handed over her identification and a credit card, receiving a sheet of paperwork in return. As she filled it in, she snuck glances at the front desk worker. At the same time, Carrie was watching the children.

  “So,” Carrie leaned against the counter and spoke with an overly sweet tone. “Don’t you two look pretty today?”

  “Thank you,” they said in unison.

  “But, well, I can’t tell who’s who. Which one of you is Ian?”

  Evelyn refocused on her paperwork, trying not to look surprised by the alias. The children didn’t hesitate, each rattling off the fake names as if they were the only things they have ever gone by.

  “It’s so hard to tell when you're both dressed up like that.” Carrie looked purposefully at Aleksandr as she added, “You know, you can choose different outfits.”

  Evelyn looked over just in time to see Aleksandr glare at the woman.

  “They wear what they want,” Aleksandr said, his voice sharp.

  “Well, kids don’t always know what's good for them. That’s why parents make the decisions. What they wear. What they do. Where they’re raised.”

  “We like Vegas,” Ivan chirped.

  “I’m sure you do,” Carrie said with that same sickly-sweet tone.

  Evelyn hurried through the process of checking in.

  “How was school today?” Carrie asked.

  Aleksandr’s eyes narrowed at the question.

  “Oh, right, you’re not enrolled yet.”

  “Yes, we are,” Ivan said.

  A small pit of fire began to crackle in the depths of Nadya’s eyes. “We’re homeschooled.”

  “Of course, I forgot.”

  “Wow,” Evelyn couldn’t help but mutter.

  She had no idea that someone could fit that much disgust in only four words.

  With the paperwork finished, Carrie didn't have time for further comments. Swiftly, she checked Evelyn in, slid a few items over the polished marble countertop, and called for the next person in line.

  Along with a key card, there was a map, a pamphlet, and a few coupons for different attractions within the casino. Evelyn studied the floor plans carefully as she shoved everything else into the outer pocket of her duffle bag. The layout of the casino was a strange mix of straightforward and overly complicated. Large areas filled the map with blocks of color, but there seemed to be an endless array of pathways that weaved around all of them.

  The twins didn't hesitate, entirely at home amongst the chaos, leading the way past a small convenience store and what seemed to be the entrance to a fun zone. Kids swarmed the area, shrieking with delight as they raced around, their cries accompanied by the whirl of electronic games and the tell-tale ‘pew’ that the universe had reserved as the only authentic sound for lasers. The air was full of scents. Popcorn and hotdogs and spilt soda pop. Individuals in stylized astronaut costumes wandered around the swirling mass of people, selling large, soft tuffs of cotton candy wrapped around glowing sticks. As they passed the threshold, Evelyn noticed that there was what looked to be a downed alien craft nestled in the back of the long room. A sign taped to the front boasted that it was the largest laser tag arena in the world.

  The twins didn't so much as glance at the other kids or the playground as they passed. On the other side of the door, they cut off to the side, swiped a small plastic disc across a nondescript part of the wall, and popped open a concealed door. Its camouflage was far from perfect. But, with all of her senses assaulted at once, Evelyn knew she would have missed it.

  Having lost track of which twin was which, she couldn’t say who held the door open for her, but she was ushered through into a brightly lit hallway. Once again, her mind screamed ‘wrong’. The stark contrast was jarring. Gone was the beautifully decorated halls, the attention to detail, the color and glee and all the trappings of the facade. The corridor before her was long and barren. Just block stone walls thick with layers of white paint. The sick feeling of claustrophobia began to seep into her chest. Compared to the vastness they had just passed through, the walls felt like they were squeezing in on her. The heavy door clicked shut behind them, and Evelyn flinched.

  “Staff entrance,” Aleksandr said, his voice booming in the sudden silence.

  She nodded as if she wasn't concerned, as if the constant hum of the fluorescent lights above them weren’t grating on her nerves.

  Their footsteps echoed out behind them and before them, making it sound as if they weren't alone. Finishing the last bites of her ice-cream, Evelyn wiped her hand off on the loose material of her dress. For some reason, the sweet, milky scent of the treat only hit her now. It lingered as she moved, and she made a mental note to wash out her clothes when she got to her room.

  They reached a set of three elevators. Unlike the hallway, no attempt had been made to hide the receiving pad. It was an ugly black slab mounted on the wall that released a series of flashes when one of the twins swiped the small plastic disc across it. Only once it was activated, did the elevator’s call button light up. It hit Evelyn then. Her room was on the thirteenth floor. This elevator just went down.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, subconsciously balling her fists by her sides.

  “Our room,” one of the twins said.

  “I want them settled before I go to work,” Aleksandr said.

  Evelyn glanced around quickly, making sure the hallway was empty before asking, “You're going to work now?”

  “I’ve got a bit of time,” he said before he caught her point. “This is staff accommodation. If I get fired, we’re homeless.”

  Evelyn was about to ask why they would even
care about that, given that their parents had surely taught them how to survive with far less, when it hit her. They weren't even near their floor and they've had to use a specialized key twice. There were laws that forbade hotels from giving out guest room numbers. That had to hold true for staff as well. And, as she looked around, she spotted exposed surveillance cameras monitoring every inch of the corridor. A few people passed, greeting the Sokolovskys with a smile before jerking their heads towards Evelyn. They only picked up their pace again after Aleksandr had made the introduction, still referring to her as Eve with that flawless Southern accent. Every person reminded him to ‘make sure the boss doesn’t see her’. Security, she decided. That’s what the hotel offered. No apartment complex or doorman could compare.

  The elevator doors finally opened, allowing a few people in a variety of uniforms to shuffle out. All of them noticed Evelyn, mostly nothing more than a frown to recognize that she didn't belong. Some, however, lingered and questioned, refusing to move on until Aleksandr had reassured them that it was all okay. The conversations all ended the same, with his co-workers warning him about the bosses catching him with a guest in his room.

  The elevator carriage itself was small and just like the corridor they had left, devoid of all luxuries. No decorations or attempts to cover the bare steel walls. There was nothing that made Evelyn question the reliability of the machine, but after seeing the guest areas, it felt sterile and cold. The ride was smooth, but it made a weird, rattling noise. That’s when she was able to pinpoint what felt off.

  No music. It hadn’t occurred to her how odd it was not to have music playing through the speaker system. It added an alien feel to a normal situation, and she found herself grateful for the twins’ endless chatter. Since they were the only people riding, the kids didn’t bother to keep up the English pretense and spoke amongst themselves in Russian. Every so often, Aleksandr would add something, but he spent most of the ride chewing on his thumbnail. Evelyn didn’t bother asking what they were discussing. Her attention was fixed on the levels clicking off. Each one was displayed on a small screen above the buttons. She had never known a building could have six basements. They stopped on ‘basement five’ and exited onto a narrow hallway.